Description

Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies are tender Christmas cutout cookies packed with warm ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and rich molasses flavor. Decorate these festive gingerbread people with homemade royal icing and colorful sprinkles for holiday gatherings, cookie exchanges, and Christmas gifts.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Gingerbread Cookies:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg, at room temperature
For the Royal Icing:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons meringue powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
For Decorating:
Colorful sprinkles, as desired

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Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and molasses with an electric mixer for approximately 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix on low speed just until a cohesive dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
Divide the dough into two equal portions. Wrap each portion tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour or overnight until firm.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll each dough portion to approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Add a little extra flour if the dough feels sticky.
Use 3-inch or 4-inch gingerbread cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Arrange the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets. Gather and reroll the remaining dough scraps.
Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the cookies hold their shape but remain soft in the centers. Avoid overbaking.
Allow the cookies to cool on their baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to wire racks and cool completely.
To prepare the royal icing, combine powdered sugar, warm water, meringue powder, and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until combined, then beat on medium speed for 1 to 3 minutes until smooth, glossy, and slightly thick.
Keep the icing covered until decorating. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe faces, buttons, scarves, and festive designs onto the completely cooled cookies. Add colorful sprinkles as desired and allow the icing to dry.

Notes

Chill the dough for approximately 1 hour or overnight. Chilling makes the dough easier to roll and helps the cookies hold their shapes.

Use softened unsalted butter for the best texture and balanced flavor.

Light brown sugar contributes sweetness and helps create tender, chewy cookies.

Molasses gives the cookies their traditional gingerbread flavor, rich color, and moist texture.

Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin to prevent sticking. You may need approximately 1/4 cup of extra flour for each half of the dough.

If the dough becomes too soft while rolling, add a small amount of flour or refrigerate it briefly.

Roll the dough evenly to 1/4-inch thickness for consistent baking.

Use parchment-lined baking sheets to prevent sticking. Rimmed half-sheet pans help hold parchment in place.

Do not overbake. Baking longer than recommended can create firm, crispy cookies instead of soft, chewy centers.

Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating so the royal icing keeps its shape.

Use a piping bag with a small round tip, such as a #3 tip, for faces, buttons, clothing, and decorative details.

You can prepare the dough the night before and refrigerate it overnight for convenient Christmas baking.

Store decorated cookies in an airtight container after the icing dries completely.

Keep leftover royal icing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, subject to the meringue powder manufacturer’s storage guidance.

Decorate with colorful sprinkles, bow ties, scarves, buttons, or festive outfits.

Nutrition information is approximate and may vary according to ingredients, cookie size, and decorations.

The dough requires approximately 1 hour of chilling, although some recipe timing estimates list 40 minutes. Plan for the full chilling time when preparing this recipe.